-
Plane of ecliptic
as the earth revolves around the sun, it revolves on a plane.
-
Perihelion
Closest to the sun, early January
-
Aphelion
Farthest point from the sun in July
-
March Equinox
- March 20-21
- 0 degree Declination
-
June Solstice
- June 21-22
- 23.5 degrees North
-
September Equinox
- September 22-23
- 0 degrees
-
December Solstice
- December 21 or 22
- 23.5 degrees south
-
subsolar point
location on Earth receiving perpendicular sunlight
-
Declination
latitude that receives direct sunlight overhead on a particular day
-
June Solstice
when noon sun is directly over 23.5 N which is the tropic of cancer
-
On the June Solstice, the Arctic Circle and North experience 24 hours of daylight
-
December Solstice
Marks time when the noon sun is directly overhead the 23.5 south which is the tropic of capricorn
-
On December Solstice, areas south of the antarctic Circle experience 24 hours of continuous daylight
-
Tropical latitudes
solar energy is consistency high and varies little from season to season
-
Mid latitudes
Experience a single insolation maximum at the time of the respective summer solstice and a single minimum at the time of respective winter solstice
-
High latitudes
solar energy receipts are reduced to zero for a good portion of the year
-
Solar Constant
- the total amount of insolation received at the top of the atmosphere
- 1,372 W/m^2
-
absorption
atmospheric gases absorb radiant energy and convert it to heat causing the temperature of the air to rise slightly
-
Scattering
action in which gas molecules, clouds, and dust particles deflect insolation in all directions and some is thus sent back out to space
-
albedo
reflectivity of a surface
-
shortwave radiation
insolation
|
|